Posted by By Rasheed Bisiriyu on
Fear has gripped workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation over fresh plans by the Federal Government to lay off about 20 per cent of the corporation's staff strength.
Fear has gripped workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation over fresh plans by the Federal Government to lay off about 20 per cent of the corporation's staff strength.
No fewer than 1,200 workers could be affected in the retrenchment, which is coming barely one year after a similar exercise that swept off the jobs of about 7,000 railway workers.
The last exercise, which reduced the NRC's staff strength to 6,300, was carried out to scale down the financial commitment of the government to the corporation, pending the conclusion of ongoing rehabilitation projects.
Before then, the workers were always going on strike over salary arrears. The corporation was barely generating less than 30 per cent of what it required to pay the monthly salary of the workers.
The latest retrenchment, it was learnt, was, however, not peculiar to NRC. It was said to be part of the ongoing restructuring at the Federal Civil Service.
A source at the Ebute Meta, Lagos, head office of the corporation told our correspondent on Monday that the list of those to be sacked had been compiled.
The source added that a committee had earlier been raised to compile the list.
He said that a former sole administrator of the corporation, the Presidency as well as the National Assembly were represented on the committee to give the exercise credibility.
He listed those on the list to include workers found to be approaching the retirement age; dwindling productivity; or regularly falling sick; as well as those with bad record.